Forest Village Academy
by klondigirl
Summary: Demetria Jones had been Shikako Nara in her previous life, but this life was in a very ordinary world, like her first. Or so she thought.
1. Old Student New School

Ch 1 Old Student, New School.

"Are you nervous, dear? about your first day at a brand new school?" Asked my mother (Third Edition) as she nervously fiddled with the collar of my uniform.

"Not really." I drawled in lazy amusement that brought a pang of longing for my once twin. It was just school. I had done this whole thing a couple times before, not that I would tell her that. I took a cursory glance at the mirror. Taking in the features, that just weren't quite the same as Shikako, but were eerily similar, with just enough of my current parents to confirm that I was not in some strange genjustu.

There were no Jutsu in this world, not enough chakra. That didn't stop me from learning 'Martial Arts' and training though. My parents were supportive of my 'hobbies' and kept encouraging me to go to tournaments and the like, if just to meet other children who spent their free time doing stretches and Kata's instead of...whatever _normal_ children do for fun... But, while I sometimes felt like I would kill for a decent sparring partner, my own natural shyness and a prior lifetime of ninja paranoia made me avoid exhibitions like the plague.

"I'm fussing too much aren't I? Its just, I have such a good feeling about this school, and this town! I feel like Everything is just perfect for you. Its a combined middle and high school, that places each student individually, they even have college classes! Complete Academic freedom while still going to school with children your age. And, like, a dozen, different kinds of Martial Arts Classes! You can actually be expected to bring a sword to school! Then we discovered such a fantastic job opportunity for your father in the local town. It seems like everything is going so well, I just want you to be happy."

"I'm always happy, mom." I said with fond exasperation. "And you always fuss too much."

My parents seemed determined to worry constantly about my lack of close friends, and whether or not school was challenging enough. I had figured the third time around was going to be pretty tedious no matter what, and with no urgent threat looming on the horizon, was content to nap and daydream through grade school. I still completed my work properly though. The teachers however, managed to catch on in second grade, and then came the fussing... There was much talking about moving me up several grades, or private tutoring, and much angsting about how that might negatively effect my social development.

I thought my social development was fine, I had people I talked to at school. That weren't teachers. Sometimes.

The trip to my new school was occupied by scenery and nostalgia. the Forests surrounding my new home and school were almost large and thick enough that I wanted to get out of the car and try jumping from branch to branch, it would be reckless and stupid to try it without chakra though. Chakra enhanced coordination and strength, and durability, in case of a fall. Even the trees would be less durable due to the lack of natural energy passively enhancing them. I doubted anyone would be stupid enough to try it.

At least that's what I thought. Until I arrived at my new school only to hear a branch breaking, before a boy crashed down on top of me. I dodged the branch and broke my fall correctly, so It only hurt a lot. I took a moment to be thankful that I hadn't had the wind knocked out of me only to see a startlingly familiar pair of blue eyes that made me forget how to breathe.

"Hey...PersonIdon'tknow! I thought I knew everyone around here, I'm Tyler! but you can call me Ty...Are you alright?!"

Tyler, not Naruto, that would be silly and impossible, gingerly pulled himself up without stepping or leaning on me, which I appreciated.

I stared dumbly at the hand he held out to me for a moment, trying to process the sudden shocking recognition, followed by crushing irrational disappointment.

I reached out my hand to his, because it was Nar..no it wasn't, but I took his hand anyway, and he helped me to my feet.

"Demetria." I said looking awkwardly at the ground.

"Huh?"

"My name." I explained, I was blushing in embarrassment, and he was still holding my hand.

"Oh." there was a moment of silence "What was it again?"

"Demetria." I repeated.

Another beat of silence followed.

"Weird name."

I blushed harder.

"Its Greek."

"Well, it certainly is, to me." he joked. I looked up, startled to see the desperately familiar, mischievious grin on his face. Then he looked thoughtful. "Hey! Are you sure we don't know each other? You seem really familiar." I just stared at him for a moment before answering.

"No."

He waited a moment, for me to elaborate perhaps, before finally letting go of my hand and scratching the back of his head.

"Well, Demetria, I'll see you around I guess. Thanks for breaking my fall!"

I took a moment to resettle myself after that encounter. You never got over losing everything, losing everyone. Thinking for just one second that you might have found it again was...

I took several slow deep breaths before heading to the office. Moving forward. Only for the Deja Vu to hit me all over again. There was a blonde girl, around my age, in ridiculously fashionable clothing with a high pony tail, and a fresh flower pinned to her hair, chewing out a teenage boy who seemed to be manning the desk. He, thankfully for my sanity seemed unfamiliar.

"Ino." I said thickly, before I managed to get ahold of myself.

"What!?" she snapped around to face me ending her tirade mid sentence.

I stared at her gaping stupidly. My heart was fluttering madly, in time to the gibbering nonsense bouncing around my brain. Had she really reacted to that name? Or was it just the realization that someone was standing behind her. She studied me for a minute with ordinary round pupiled eyes, that were nonetheless the same piercing aqua I remembered, Before gracing me with a dazzling smile.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. Someone messed up my class schedule and that idiot at the desk was being singularly unhelpful." She rolled her eyes, and stepped forward offering me her hand. "I don't recognize you, so you must be new. My name is Darlene. Darlene Rose. I answer to Darlene, or Rose." She tilted her head thoughtfully "Or ...Ino apparently" she added in a bemused voice.

I stared at her hand for a moment, then reached out my hand to hers, because it was Ino. I no longer had it in me to believe that it wasn't.

"Um, my name is Demetria Jones. And I am supposed to see Mr. Richmond for my placement evaluations?" I said gracelessly waving a piece of paper that said just that, and glancing somewhat pleadingly towards the person sitting at the desk.

Ino, or Not Ino, plucked the paper from my hands "Don't bother asking him, Mr. Richmond doesn't allow idiots in his office as a general rule, so _he_ probably has no idea where it is. Follow me." She said as strolled down the hallway with my admissions note. with me reluctantly trailing after.

"So your a science nerd, huh, whats your Subject?" She asked when I had caught up.

"What makes you say that?" I asked warily still feeling a little unbalanced.

She waved the paper casually at me, and I briefly considered snatching it away and running for it.

"Mr. Richmond doesn't do placement eval's... He does most of the advanced science classes, and usually refuses to bother with anything else. If he's doing your placement eval. it means you have caught his interest. Two things interest Mr. Richmond; science experiments, and promising scientists, and he is not allowed, to use the students as science experiments." She concluded smirking at me.

I groaned aloud. "I did a science fair project on the kinetic energy released for various chemical combination explosive reactions. It wasn't even that good, I made something of a glaring oversight on my mathematical calculations. But it got a bit out of hand, There were prizes and newspaper articles, and they wanted me to do presentations. It was horrible. And then there was that stupid nickname." I stopped myself. Why on earth would I mention that to Ino? Did I learn nothing from a lifetime with the moniker Shikabane-hime?

"Nickname?" Konoha's former queen of gossip queried with a raised brow and a predatory glitter in her eyes. I groaned again.

Then I spotted my, very temporary, salvation, in the form of a door labeled "Richmond".

"Oh look! were here!" I squeaked, Grabbing my paper and rushing inside with little dignity or decorum. Only to freeze in wide eyed horror for an endless half second. Then adrenaline pounded through me with my very next heartbeat. And my weight shifted in a subtle manner that wasn't any kind of formal fighting stance, but nonetheless promised violence and death to those familiar with such things.

Other than the slightest narrowing of his cool analytical gaze, he carefully did not respond to my implied threat, and in a languid, deliberately nonthreatening manner he leaned back in his office chair. He looked so normal, with light brown eyes, instead of reptilian gold, and his dark hair in a modern contemporary short haircut, fair skin, instead of grayish pallor, and a formal collared shirt with the top button undone. We spent a single suffocating eternity that could not have lasted more than a few seconds just watching each other. Until an arm draped itself casually over my shoulder.

"So I know Mr. Richmond comes off as a creepy jerk, but once you get to know him, you'll realize that deep down, _he really is_ a creepy jerk."

"But!" she continued cheerfully "If he ever tried anything, Mrs. Jenkins would punch him through a wall, and Jake would drive him _insane_! So, thanks to his well developed sense of self preservation, he's perfectly trustworthy."

"Ino!" I protested, not knowing if I was more appalled that she had just insulted a teacher, or that she had just insulted _Orochimaru_ , to his face. Then I felt Not Gold eyes cut into me sharply, and remembered that her name wasn't Ino, it was...

Well, I couldn't remember over the buzzing of Adrenalin, and the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears.

After a moment when the shattered tension had settled Orochimaru gave a put upon sigh and said with dry amusement "Miss Rose,"

"As grateful as I am to you for showing our newest student to my office, and your... _glowing_ character reference, I believe placement interviews are confidential." He glanced pointedly at the door, which was still slightly ajar. Ino spared me a quick concerned glance before turning to leave. As she reached the handle of the door she half turned, placed her hand on her hip and sing songed over her shoulder.

"Fine, I'll go. But if you don't behave yourself, Jack will hear about the incident with the lab mice this summer." I was still standing at an angle where I could see the sly grin on her face as she slipped out of the room and closed the door to the sound of Orochimaru practically stuttering.

"Wha...How did she...nevermind." he concluded with yet another put upon sigh, I got the feeling those were habitual around...Darlene.

I was really glad I wasn't the only one having one of those days.

Except now I was alone in an office with a teacher who resembled someone from my past life, who possibly _was_ someone from my past life, far too much for anything resembling comfort. I met his evaluating gaze warily, no longer a hair trigger from violence but far from relaxed.

"Shikako Nara." I flinched at the sound of that name, spoken in that _voice_ and that _tone,_ and suppressed a shudder. He continued. "You actually remember don't you? Not just ingrained responses and phantom memories, how interesting."

I was able to infer a great deal from that statement. That the people that so resembled my old friends, probably were in fact, my old friends, with no actual memory of their prior life. That I was in fact speaking to Orochimaru, and that he did in fact remember his prior life. That he knew that I remembered too. That he knew that I knew, that he knows, I remember.

I forced myself to stop that train of thought before insanity became an issue, and called upon lifetimes of self discipline to set aside the overwhelming emotional turmoil that I was currently unable to process. Thankfully, while I was a bit rusty, I had a great deal of experience adapting to insane occurrences.

"Orochimaru." I responded simply. Confirmation, acknowledgement, and acceptance in a single word. "The others, they don't remember, but you mentioned phantom memories? and why are they all here?" Horrible as Orochimaru could be, you could trust him to be curious, to try and figure things out, and he had obviously been aware of this situation longer than I had.

He gave me a knowing half smile. "I theorize, that while physical memories are not usually retained after rebirth, the spiritual energy retains certain patterns, that carry over into the next life. And I suspect that the addition of chakra, either due to the catalytic reaction to the spiritual energy, or the constant deliberate merging of physical and spiritual energy, or both, reinforces those patterns. Causing former shinobi, to have much stronger spiritual resonance to their prior selves."

"As to how so many came to be here, that is in part simply due to people being drawn to familiar people, places and activities over time. And in part due to the fact that I, and a few others have been deliberately seeking them out and drawing them here, for the last ten years or so. The internet is so very useful."

"You arranged my dad's new job." I accused suspiciously.

"Hardly a nefarious crime." He dismissed. "You will probably find the fact that I am _disinclined_ to make the same mistakes _twice_ , a bit more reassuring than the fact that its been a very long time since we were enemies, and I have changed a great deal. Although both are true." The remote seriousness his voice was familiar from my previous life. We are not friends, but our mission objectives, do not require us to be enemies.

"And for some reason Tsunade, and Jiraya's new incarnations seem to be convinced that if they ever let me do any kind of research or project without them looking over my shoulder, something horrible will happen. They haven't left me to my own devices since we were children."

The last comment was added with a huff of exasperated fondness, followed by childish petulance that was so out of sync with my memories of Orochimaru that I could almost feel my brain try to skip gears. Thankfully, before I was forced to try to wrap my brain around the concept of a warm sentimental Orochimaru, his eyes returned to regard me with a familiar, if less intense, predatory amusement.

"I have compiled a great deal of analysis and research on the subject of reincarnation, and alternate worlds, in addition to specific individual observations of former Shinobi. Not something I could share with most of my colleagues. But you might be interested."

It sounded like bait for a trap. My fingers twitched with the desire to get my hands on that information. It was very, very good bait. His smile broadened

"That is, of course, if your classwork meets my expectations."

What? My. What.

"Classwork?" I said incredulously

"Of course, I am a teacher now, in case you forgot. As a teacher I find that I hate to see wasted potential." He replied seriously, but a suspicious twitch at one corner of his mouth informed me that he knew exactly how ridiculous this was.

I blinked. a bit surprised that I actually had no problem with his terms, except...

"I really don't like standing out."

He shrugged,

"I can keep your actual coursework to myself, and I fully intend to evaluate your work based on my own estimation of your abilities, your grades shouldn't raise any eyebrows. And you can do as well or badly as you like in classes other than my own, I don't really care."

"Okay." I could deal with this. I started to go over the morning in my head cataloging everything I knew, everything I wanted to know.

"Do you think its possible if an echo of the memory is still there, that the actual memories could be restored with the right trigger or catalyst?" I asked thoughtfully. The following silence was very, very quiet.

Orochimaru, or Mr Richmond, was very deliberately not looking in her direction, instead he was pensively staring at a wall to her left. He finally broke the heavy silence with a single quiet statement.

"I don't want them to remember."

"Oh." I said reflexively. Slowly coming to the realization that people from their past life getting their memories back would mean very different things to _him_.

"Oh" I repeated, struck by the sudden awareness that the answer to my question was 'yes'

Suddenly inscrutable, Mr. Richmond opened the right hand drawer of his desk took out a thick stack of paperwork, and dropped it onto his desk with a thud.

"Now I believe we have Class Placements Evaluations to conduct."


	2. Old Habits New Perspective

Ch 2

Old Habits, New Perspectives

I suppressed a flutter of nervousness, as I stepped onto the elevator. Nervousness that encompassed far more than the prospect of starting a new job and meeting my new boss.

My wife was convinced that this town was the perfect place for our wonderful, eccentric, brilliant little girl to thrive. I was less convinced. Small towns could be incredibly insular, and Demetria tended to be socially awkward at best. And for all this place, this school, this job looked so perfect on paper, we had yet to deal with the reality. The decision to leave behind our entire lives to move here had seemed to me to be gambling with our daughter's happiness. And it was a gamble I desperately wanted to win.

So I took a deep breath to settle my nerves as I approached the half open door labled 'Sean Parker C.O.O. Forest Village Inc.' only to find what looked for all the world like a teenage boy napping at the desk inside.

"Um, excuse me?" I said after a minute of standing uncertainly at the door. The boy at the desk sighed and reluctantly lifted his head to look at me unenthusiastically. A thick strand of his longish dark hair fell carelessly into his face. Sitting in a lazy slouch, and was wearing a sleeveless undershirt leaving his tanned and toned arms bare. I doubted anyone had ever looked less like an Business Executive. My first instinct was to ask if his father would be back soon. however on second glance around the room, I spotted the various missing pieces of professional attire. Collard shirt draped over the back of his chair, suit jacket folded in half on the sill of the open window, tie hanging from the lampshade, and a hairtie around his wrist.

I hesitated and with a second glance at the door asked "Are you...Sean Parker? I'm Darren Jones. I was to start work today..."

He responded with a particularly long resigned sigh.

"I know who you are." he said calmly, then suddenly switching tones he raised his voice. "You're late"

Startled, I glanced at the clock, It was 7:40 and I had been asked too arrive at 8:00

"Not you. Him." He said eyes narrowing in annoyance, and head tilting meaningfully to my right. I turned to look, and realized there was someone else walking up the hallway towards me.

"Sorry, Boss." He called out sheepishly, voice lowering in volume as he got closer "I got caught up, and didn't think a couple of minutes would matter."

"I told you to be here at 7:38. Why would I go through the effort of being specific, if it didn't matter? You could have saved us both a lot of hassle if you had been here when you were told."

I was tempted to cringe at his scathing tone, and it wasn't even directed at me. The new arrival however just looked thoughtful.

"You're right boss, that was downright silly of me. Won't happen again, and" He turned to me, and extended his hand. "I am Joe Baker, and I am sorry I wasn't here earlier. I could have made your first impression of our company much less awkward."

"Its alright." I responded automatically and accepted his hand. Joe Baker was impeccably dressed in tailored clothes, with his dark hair graying at the temples, and wire-frame glasses. He looked every inch the Corporate professional in direct contrast to his 'boss'.

I took a moment to try and process the implications of their conversation while his, and apparently my, new boss handed Joe Baker and piece of paper and assigned him to give me a 'tour and new employee orientation'

I was very tempted to ask him how he had known precisely when I would arrive, but he had promptly returned to his earlier napping position as soon as the paper left his hands. Baker grinned knowingly at me, patted me on the shoulder and wordlessly signaled me to follow him out of the office. So I did.

When we were a reasonable distance away he spoke. "Welcome to Forest Village, how have you been adjusting so far?" There had been a particular emphasis on the word adjusting, that made me pause, but after a moment I replied.

"Fine, I suppose. We only arrived a couple of days ago, and spent most of that unpacking, but the scenery is nice." I hesitated a moment "What did you mean, about adjusting?"

He grinned at me. "Well, the locals, at least the ones we affectionately refer to as the Forest People, can take some getting used to. I grew up in the nearest decent sized city, so have been aware of some of their oddities most of my life, and then I married one, and now two of my three kids are Forest People, as a result I am considered a local expert on dealing with their quirks."

I blinked and frowned "Only two of your three kids are...Forest People?"

He nodded, as if we were having a perfectly normal conversation.

"Its actually not very common for Forest People to have Forest People children, whatever is responsible for the traits doesn't seem to be genetic. Its far more common for them to be born to outsiders, like with you and your daughter."

"What do you mean, my daughter?" I asked starting to feel slightly offended "She isn't one of these...Forest People."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly "Oh? So she doesn't tend to be preternaturally observant, have an affinity for knives and martial arts, and learned to walk like a ghost before she turned three?"

I stopped walking for a moment. "How did you. What. You couldn't possibly know..."

"I told you I raised two of 'em myself, My oldest was downright eerie, still is mosttimes. my youngest was more subtle, took the whole 3 years to manage walking soundlessly, but then Eaters are pretty easygoing as far as Forest people go."

"Eaters...?" I said hesitantly. I was starting to feel vastly out of my depth.

"Yep, the things I mentioned earlier are a sort of an obvious baseline set of quirks for nearly all the forest people. Then there are extra subsets of quirks that local parlance has given labels to. Three of the more prominent subgroups are the Eaters, Sleepers and Charmers. Those three commonly tend to form triads too." He paused, anticipating my confusion. "Forest people have a tendency to group into threes for some reason. We call those groupings triads or Trinities, because it happens so often, and because they are so significant. You'll see what I mean eventually."

He paused for a moment to retrack the conversation, and I was starting to keep a discreet eye out for hidden cameras.

"Anyway, Eaters are some of the most easygoing friendly forest people you'll meet, but food is always Serious Business. Never mess with an Eaters food.

Sleepers... well, you met the boss. He is what we call a Heavy Sleeper. He shows a high proportion of Sleeper traits. They are all ridiculously brilliant and almost completely unambitious. They'd rather have an afternoon nap than a successful career. That's probably one of the reasons boss gets so testy with me. I was part of the council that voted to stuff him in the C.O.O. slot the minute he applied for a business management position, and now he pretty much runs the company.

Charmers, well they, as you might guess, tend to be charming. Pretty much the most socially well adjusted Forest People. Like to build and maintain information networks. Basically they're the local gossips. But its Serious Business to a Charmer."

Then there are Lurkers, Fighters, Dog people, Bug people and a few others...Really you should just focus on your daughter and maybe her triad, for now. Worry about the rest later."

"Okay." I said somewhat dazed voice, as I tried to process that ridiculous info dump.

I was half convinced this was some sort of elaborate hazing. See how many crazy stories we can convince the new guy to believe. Except, he had just casually tossed out most of my daughters odd habits, and no one could possibly have known, how she would step so carefully one foot in front of the other with her face scrunched in concentration until she could walk...without making a sound. And then there was the rest of it.

"Um," I said after a moment "I think my daughter might be a...Sleeper. She's always been so brilliant, we could never keep enough books around to keep her occupied. Then when she went to school, she would just nap through most of the classes, and still do fairly well. When we tried to suggest she move to a more challenging grade she didn't want too, said she liked taking naps, didn't want to be challenged...it was a bit baffling."

Not to mention the Idea of my twelve year old daughter successfully running an entire company seemed unnervingly plausible.

He snickered "Yup, typical Sleeper. Just keep in mind that naps and downtime are Serious Business, and you'll manage fine. Sleepers are too laid back to have really pronounced issues, although it does vary from person to person. They're individuals not categories, but knowing the categories can help."

Thankfully, after that surreal conversation the rest of the workplace tour, just involved a tour of my workplace. It was reassuring. As if I hadn't just moved my family into some twilight zone conspiracy.

Then we reached the end of the tour, my new workplace. Which consisted of a comfortably large office room, with six moderately sized cubicles separated by three quarter walls, instead of the standard space dividers.

Oh, and when we entered said room, a man was crouched menacingly on previously mentioned three quarter wall, muscles tensed and wary like a cat before it pounced.

"Hello Bob." Joe greeted, as if it were perfectly normal to greet ones coworkers who were covered in weapons and poised threateningly just above your head. "This is Darren Jones, he is going to be your new coworker. His daughter is a Sleeper, so you really don't want to stab him, you know how they get."

The tense, threatening line of his shoulders eased considerably at Joe's calm address, but I could have sworn there was a slight shudder after his last statement.

"Darren this is Bob, or he also likes to go by Newt. Don't take it personally if he doesn't talk to you much, or at all. Lurkers can be like that. And he'll relax around you eventually. They just don't do well with strangers."

Bob nodded his head at me once, either in greeting or in confirmation of Joe's statement. I couldn't really tell. Then he re-sheathed the throwing knife in his left hand, and walked to the other end of the wall with the surety of a cat, to vanish into the far cubicle.

"That reminds me." Joe added "You'll want to take a purple ribbon, and tie it to one of the hooks outside one of your windows, to designate it a guest entrance. Otherwise some of the Forest People will just use any window they please."

I sighed in resignation, I was starting to get the sinking feeling this wasn't all some kind of elaborate joke.

"I don't suppose they knock first?"

"Nope." he replied easily "Getting them to use a designated window is plausible, getting them to knock first is a lost cause."

One the bright side I was no longer worried that my daughter would have trouble fitting in. I had a dreadful sneaking suspicion that she was going to fit in just fine.


	3. Old Luck New Places

Ch 3

I could see why Mr Richmond didn't do placement evaluations. He emphatically did not share the same views on educational standards as the state laws. Like his firm opinion that I spoke english just fine and taking more classes on that subject would be pointless. And that didn't even approach his disdain for the state requirements that I study a _second_ language, when I could be studying something useful, like the two dozen different science classes available to me. I think he wanted me to take all of them. It was like dealing with a stubborn argumentitive child, and I was the one who was supposed to be twelve. That didn't even mention all the unrelated topics he kept trying to bring up. (Unrelated to school that is I am sure he always considered science relevant.)

I ended up stealing the paperwork to fill out myself. At least until he managed to lure me into a discussion on the theoretical implications chakra might have on particle physics. which sidetracked me for more than an hour, but I managed to get it done. I, apparantly, seriously needed to brush up on my particle physics.

"I can't believe you signed up for a Knitting class, In what universe would you need to know how to Knit?"

"A very cold one." I replied solemly rolling my eyes "I've never learned before and it could be interesting. How is it possible to have so many classes, in such a small school anyway?"

"Aside from the core classes, most of the classes are mostly self directed with the teacher only being required to show up once a week or so, and the older students fill in as teaching assistants in the lower classes." He gave me a bored half smile. "At least half of the students are fairly independent and self directed by the time they go to school here, and the other children tend to follow their example." He brightened a bit and added.

"Now that were done with this tedious school nonesense, do you want to discuss your barrier seal research?"

"Please don't tell me you conspired to drag my family down here just so you could pick my brain about my seals? How would you even have known I remember? and they won't even work here, so why bother?"

A slow smile crept across his face.

"Are you so certain that seals don't work here?" He responded, looking unbelievably smug.

I absorbed that for a moment, but before I could form a coherent response, the door to mr. Richmonds office exploded open and a familiar blonde crashed through, dragging yet another painfully familiar person.

"Its her isn't it!" He nearly shouted.

Sauske, It was Sauske whatever name he went by now, deliberately untangled Naruto's fist from his shirt, and looked me over. When my eyes met his they were solemn and touched with longing. He took a deep shuddering breath and said,

"Yes, I think its her."

It was the second time that morning that 'Tyler' Slammed into me. This time he wrapped his arms around me like a vise, and managed to babble the entire time.

"OhMyGosh! I can't believe its really you! Why didn't you tell me when we first met that you were the third member of our triad! We have been waiting for you, like, Forever! I thought for the longest time Hannah was our third member even though Steve was like 'No way, Its not her', but Whatever, your here now. We're a whole trinity, so we should go celebrate! Ow!"

The last part was uttered as Sasuke slammed the hilt of his sword on the back of Tyler's head.

"She needs to breathe, idiot. And she's new, she probably has no Idea what a triad is."

"Bastard" Tyler muttered, but his hug eased enough for me to breathe, and hug him in return, because it was Naruto. I had missed him.

It was Naruto, I had missed him. My hug tightened and I buried my face in his shoulder. Not to keep the tears at bay, definitley not.

"Welcome Home 'Tria." Naruto said quietly, for only me to hear. I lost myself in that moment, the shock, confusion, and questions falling away, for a time I just was. I was safe and warm in the arms of my best friend. It was home. The moment held me, and so did he.

I'm not sure how long we stood like that, but eventually Sasuke, or... well I really should find out his new name, coughed awkwardly. Bringing my awareness back. I pulled away to see Sasuke looking sheepish and uncomfortable, and Mr Richmond observing impassively. I turned to Sasuke.

"Um, you probably already know my name." I said tilting my head toward Nar...Tyler. "Whats yours?" I said timidly as I offered him my hand. He took it easily, without hesitation, and replied with a smirk.

"Actually, he told me you had a really wierd name with a tree in it." At the look on my face his smirk broadened into the playful grin I had cherished in another lifetime. "I'm Steven Vasquez, but our moron probably thinks my mother named me bastard."

I sighed and huffed a laugh. "My name is Demetria Jones, I suppose it does have a tree in it...Um. Whats all this about Triads?"

Mr Richmond cut in with the explaination

"many of us tend to form up in groups of three, like myself, jake, and Sarah" He gave me a significant glance, yes I knew who 'Jake' and 'Sarah' were, no need for introductions. "With the three of us to set a precedent, and... Our peers instinctively forming groups of three, the tendency was remarked upon and subsequently labeled as 'Triads', or 'Trinities' If one does not want to confuse us with certain asian criminal organizations. Nowdays even the normal children tend to form groups of three based on complimentary skill sets. Its fascinating really."

I bet it was fascinating, I had remarked once a long time ago that if one person stared at a spot on the pavement they must be a wierdo, If you have two people it must be something interesting. To have been able to watch an entire culture grow from people with leftover habits from shinobi life... and the people who grew up with those people. that would be interesting. I wondered if he had notes.

"But Its generally aknowledged that 'Forest People'" once again there was a beat of significant silence, followed by a knowing smirk. "Already have a Trinity, and they do not accepts substitutions or stand ins lightly. Although some have slightly less involved subgroups"

It also occured to me that Oro...Mr Richmond liked explaining things.

At least, the things he found interesting, to people who also found those things interesting.

It kind of explained why he was a teacher in this lifetime, and hadn't locked himself away in a lab somewhere. It also made me wonder if other villains should get teaching jobs so they could actually monologe productively. Then I wondered if Mr Richmond still counted as a villain, with Jiraya and Tsunade still at hand to presumeably keep him in line.

So people who were in close knit three man squad tended to regroup. It kind of made sense that teamwork was so deeply ingrained into konoha shinobi that they instinctively sought out their teams. Even If they hadn't had one particular three man squad, they would likely form one with people they had worked with often enough to form a bond.

Tyler was glaring at Mr Richmond with blatant suspicion throughout this entire explaination.

"Hey! Who do you think you are, bringing her here and, and, telling her stuff like that. We're her triad, we should be telling her stuff!" Tyler shouted rudely.

If someone could look eloquently bored, and vaugely amused at the same time, Mr Richmond managed.

"I thought I was a teacher, which is someone a school employs to 'tell people stuff' Although given your GPA, I am not entirely surprised that fact has escaped you."

Steven interjected before Tyler could form another beligerent reply. His voice laced with quiet suspicion. Much to my bemusement I realized that he had positioned himself between myself and Mr Richmond.

Naruto and Sasuke had come to my rescue.

"You don't usually handle new student orientations, or even talk with individual students in your office. What is your interest in Demetria in particular? You have to admit your singling her out is suspicious."

"Fair enough." Mr Richmond replied "I have singled her out, because the third member of your trinity is a Sleeper, who specializes in many of the same scientific fields as myself." He frowned slightly and continued "And my dislike for dealing with students on an individual basis, is more due to wanting to avoid giving any validation to certain persistent and ludicrous rumors, than anything else."

Steven coughed and shifted awkwardly. "Oh. Yeah, well I can understand that I guess."

"a sleeper?" I said interrupting, Mr Richmond started to answer, but only rolled his eyes as Tyler loudly spoke over him.

"It means your super smart and stuff! and also kinda lazy, and like to sleep alot. Hey! I can show you all the places where Josh likes to nap and look at clouds and stuff, or we could get Charlie or Darlene to do it, cause Josh says I'm noisy and he doesn't like me in his quiet napping places."

So, basically, being a Sleeper means someone has pegged me for being a Nara.

"I am a Fighter, that means I'm awesome," Sasuke snorted "and Steve is a Rememberer, they can recognize people, sort of. They're rare."

"Rare?" I said frowning. That was odd. The Uchiha had been a large clan, before the massacre, with a high percentage of chunin and jounin level shinobi.

"The 'Rememberers' as they are called, posses higher than average skill and visual memory retention." There was an odd weight to Mr Richmonds words despite his distant analytical tone. "They also are the only 'Forest people' to regisiter a set of observable neurological abnormalities under a PET scan. The numbers of Identified Rememberers have been dropping steadily for the last twenty years or so."

I felt slightly cold

"You think something's happening to them, or someone else has been finding them. Who? and Why?"

"I don't know."

"But you have a theory." I asserted grimly.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes for a moment, then spoke very carefully.

"There was a certain contemporary of my teacher, they parted ways over a difference in opinion, and he subsequently took up a career in the shadier parts of the government intellegence organizations. I have been unable to reliably keep tabs on his activities, or whereabouts for quite some time now."

I closed my eyes. Danzo. He meant Danzo. Of course he would be here too, why would I think dying and being reincarnated into another world would get me away from him? And now Uchiha were dissapearing under suspicious circumstances, and who knows who else could be unaccounted for... When I opened my eyes and met Mr Richmonds I had an odd sense that he felt exactly the same way.

"What are you two talking about?" Steven interrupted suspiciously. Bringing my attention back to my surroundings.

"Nothing." I said too quickly, not suspicious at all. fortunately Sasuke seemed inclined to leave me alone, and dropped the subject with only a sharp glare at Mr Richmond.

"Nevermind all that. Me, and Steven need to show you around! Show you all the important things like the corporation headquarters, city hall, the bank, and that really cool aisian resturant that serves Ramen! Really good Ramen! Even better than the packaged stuff you get in the grocery store."

"I guess we could meet up after school." I said.

"No! this is way more important than school! Our Triad is Bonding!"

"Um I'm not sure that would be such a good Idea." I said eyeing the teacher leaning casually against the doorframe of his office watching with amusement.

"Of course, it would be irresponsible of me to allow a group of children run around unsupervised during school hours." Mr Richmond replied smoothly. "Therefore, I will accompany you."

That was. What.

"Won't you get in trouble if you just let us go off and skip school?" I asked bewildered.

He shrugged "Jake will pretend to scold me, and Sarah will realize he's only pretending and yell and him for being irresponsible, and such. So really, I am just getting Jir...Jake into trouble."

He seemed quite cheerful about that.

"Why would you want to come with us?" Steven asked.

Mr Richmond smiled slowly

"There is a certain statistical anomaly I wish to research. One I have not really had the opportunity to observe for myself. I am not about to pass up the chance now."

"What kind of statistical anomaly? I asked frowning.

"I believe its known as the team 7 curse."

"Thats ridiculous." I protested. "There is no such thing."

The look he fixed me with was entirely unnerving without being in any way threatening. It reminded me of a cat that has just spotted its favorite toy do something interesting, a sort of bright eyed amused attentiveness. That was nonetheless unsettling because it belonged to a predator.

"Have you ever seen Sarah gamble?"

"No? What does that have to do with anything?"

He just grinned.

So my New/Old Friends and I skipped school to show me around the village. There were actually tree pathways marked with ribbons, on branches that proved sturdy enough to hold most peoples weight. Apparantly Branch jumping was something of a local sport.

It was however an inefficient method of travel, (without chakra) so after establishing that I didn't actually need anyone to show me how, we mostly walked on the forest floor.

Having just had breakfast, and being sane, normal people, Steven and I convinced Tyler that Ramen could wait until lunch time. That left several other locations to visit, while listenting to Tyler's enthusiastic commentary, and Steven's occasional comments.

Mr Richmond tagged along at a ANBU stalker discretion and distance. I wasn't sure I was comfortable with knowing he was there, without knowing where he was. Fortunately without chakra, it was almost impossible to completely hide from a trained observer, who knew you were there.

The bank was one of the major destinations, because a great deal of engineering and archetectural efforts had been expended to make it possible to enter from any of the high windows on the side of the building, but not to leave. (you could just go in through the front door, but that would be boring, I was solemnly informed)

I had to admit, it was fun to climb the brickwork open the windows and drop to tiled floor of the main lobby.

Tyler began shouting greetings over the din of echoing conversation, pointing out several people he knew, and...Was that Kakashi? A teenager, younger than I expected wearing a turtleneck and baggy jeans and about half a dozen different themed masks somewhere on his person. The gaudy feathers on a Carnival mask almost obscured the short sword at his hip.

I was just about to ask Tyler about him when two people pulled out guns fired a shot into the ceiling and started demanding everyone get on the floor.

Unseen, Orochimaru's laughter echoed in the sudden silence.


	4. Chapter 4 New Games

The sound of Mr Richmonds laughter, was oddly comforting, even as several other parts of his brain insisted the sound really should terrify him.

On one hand, two men with guns were threatening to hurt people.

On the other hand, the resident mad scientist was laughing somewhat manically.

But, to quote Lewis Carroll, "Were all mad here."

He felt very sorry for the men with the guns. They really had no idea who they were messing with.

But, not sorry enough to quench the anger. They dared waltz into our wonderland, into his home, and threaten _his people._ They would regret it.

He tightened his grip on the hilt of my sword. and stepped into the shadow of one of the many pillars that decorated the main floor of the bank. Disappearing from their view, he saw out of the corner of his eye several of the other villagers do the same, in an almost choreographed smoothness. There were still several others too far in the open to slip out of sight unnoticed, including his triad. But he still had no idea where Mr Richmond was, even though Steven somehow knew with disturbing certainty that eerie echoing laugh belonged to him.

His life before the village had consisted of just him and the nightmares. His single mother who tried to help, but didn't know how, and her successively worsening taste in boyfriends. They lived in a bad part of town, but he was good at avoiding violence, and even better at ending fights quickly. He mostly kept to himself and managed to avoid any real kind of trouble. Until a year ago when her latest case of bad judgement came at her with a knife, almost without a thought he ended up with said knife in his own hand, and the deadbeat boyfriend was now just dead. The police had arrived shortly, probably called by the neighbors earlier at the beginning of the fight.

The local police were unfortunately or fortunately familiar enough with his mothers taste in men, that they had no trouble believing that I had been justifiably defending my mother, they were merely alarmed by the apparent proficiency I had for killing people with knives... Along with my recorded psychological history of 'Antisocial Behavior' and 'Night Terrors'. This led to a small parade of social workers and child therapists, whom he really did not wish to speak to.

That didn't last very long though, Mr Richmond found him shortly. It was a fairly easy choice for my mother to choose between suspicious unfriendly social workers who probably wanted to have him committed to an institution, or a new job in a new town which included a full scholarship to a prestigious private school for her son.

Steven was less enthusiastic.

The immediate hatred and mistrust I had upon meeting Mr Richmond was unexpected and alarming, but my initial reaction combined with the 'too good to be true' nature of his offer almost made me dig in my heels and take my chances with the Psychologists.

"Steven" He had said, before I had a chance to really argue, and his name had sounded foreign and unfamiliar when he voiced it. He looked me in the eyes and the hint of irony in his expression told me _he knew._ "We are not who we were." He paused letting the cryptic phrase settle under the gravity of his voice. "Give the village a chance, I think you will find it feels very much like home."

It did.

He was outsider enough to be fully cognizant of how insane everything was, but it was a comforting familiar insanity.

Mr Richmond had very little to do with Him and his mother once they arrived, which he was thankful for, for various reasons including the fact that, to my horror, his mother seemed to have developed a crush on the "Dashing, Mysterious Gentleman" who had rescued them from their old life. Fortunately once he caught on to my mothers interest Mr Richmond seemed just as horrified as Steven was.

Between the two of them conspiring to help him avoid my mothers invitations to 'go for coffee' or 'Thank him for his help', and Darlene taking Steven aside and reassuring him that hating Mr. Richmond on sight was perfectly normal, but she had been keeping an eye on him for years, and he hadn't done anything out of line, Steven managed to relax enough to acclimate.

And of course, after He met Tyler and Kevin leaving seemed unthinkable.

This was his home, so when he watched the two men swiftly being taken down by Kevin and another villager, he was almost disappointed that there had been nothing he could do. He watched as the two of them were disarmed, which is probably part of the reason he failed to notice whoever was behind him. A strong smelling cloth was pressed against his face, as he was grabbed from behind. His unfortunate gasp of surprise made his head spin before he could even think to hold his breath. His weak struggles were almost immediately followed by a strangled scream, and his unresponsive legs caused him to fall forward.

A hand caught the back of his shirt, and just before he blacked out, he heard a familiar, but not quite comforting chuckle and croon "Oh Sasuke-kun you have no Idea how _pleased_ I am that your Triad is together again."

* * *

A.N. Edited perspective pronoun things... That was terrible... er and about the not updating in a year, my computer kinda sorta died a bit, now just sorta works but I can only use it two or three days a week due to my work schedule...and life happens...also I read a lot. Seriously, I really read a lot... I vastly prefer it too writing. So you should probably blame BookBub, and Amazon for having all those free e-books for me to download...


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